Texting Bill May Die in House

Senate lawmakers are poised to vote on a bill to ban texting while driving, but the measure may die in the House for the third straight year.

By LLOYD DUNKELBERGERLEDGER TALLAHASSEE BUREAU

TALLAHASSEE | Senate lawmakers are poised to vote on a bill to ban texting while driving, but the measure may die in the House for the third straight year.The Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday approved the bill (SB 416) that would make texting a secondary offense — meaning a motorist could not be stopped on the basis of that alone. The first offense would bring a $30 fine, with a second offense rising to $60 if committed within five years of the first offense.The approval sends the bill on to the Senate floor.If it becomes law, Florida would join 35 other states that have enacted similar bans.But a similar measure (HB 299), sponsored by Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, remains stalled in the House, where it hasn't even received a hearing. Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, chairman of the House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the bill, opposes the measure, despite wide support from advocacy groups, including the Florida Sheriffs Association, the AAA, the AARP and the Florida Medical Association.Following Tuesday's Senate committee vote, Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said she will press ahead with the Senate bill, expecting a favorable floor vote."I wish they would hear it. Then they would understand it's a secondary offense," Detert said of the House opposition. "It's strictly texting. I'm not trying to take the cellphone out of your cold dead hand. I'm just saying stop weaving into my lane."The AAA is also urging the House to take up the bill, citing a survey by the motoring group that showed four out of five Florida voters favor a ban on texting while driving."We are very disappointed that this life-saving bill might not pass because of the personal opinions of a few representatives," Kevin Bakewell, a spokesman for the Auto Club Group, said in a statement. "We aren't asking them to support the bill and we respect their disagreement, but the bill should be given a fair hearing or be withdrawn from committee so it can be considered by the full House."Detert said she will make sure the House gets the Senate bill."I intend to pass it on the Senate floor and send it as a message so that the public outrage can reach the House," she said.